ID :
20896
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 04:41
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/20896
The shortlink copeid
RI TEMPORARILY BANS IMPORT OF CHINESE MILK RPODUCTS
Jakarta, Sept 23 (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is temporarily banning the importation of milk products from China to prevent its citizens from consuming melamine-contaminated milk which has caused thousands of infants in China to fall ill -- and even die.
"We are temporarily not allowing any food import from China," Husniah Rubiana Thamrin Akib, head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), said here Tuesday before attending a meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission VIII.
She said her office had informed all Chinese food importers across the country about the ban. Husniah also said no Chinese-made formula milk was on the list of BPOM's registered imported food products.
"No Chinese-made formula milk for babies has ever been registered. We only have one milk brand named Guozhen for adults on our list but we never received an application for a permit to import it," Husniah said adding that every foreign food product can be imported only with a BPOM permit.
She said to prevent the contaminated Chinese milk from entering Indonesian markets, BPOM had instructed all its regional offices to search for the product in all markets.
"We never know if the product has entered the markets illegally. Therefore, I have asked BPOM officers to search for it," she said.
BPOM had also instructed its officers to withdraw all Chinese food products from the markets to protect the public from any contaminated food.
As of September 23, 2008, BPOM had ordered the withdrawal of 28 food products containing milk from China such as yogurt, biscuit, chocolate, and candy.
"We are collecting all chinese products containing milk. However, this doesn't mean the products contain melamine . We just don't want to take risks," said Rubiana.
"We are temporarily not allowing any food import from China," Husniah Rubiana Thamrin Akib, head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM), said here Tuesday before attending a meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR)'s Commission VIII.
She said her office had informed all Chinese food importers across the country about the ban. Husniah also said no Chinese-made formula milk was on the list of BPOM's registered imported food products.
"No Chinese-made formula milk for babies has ever been registered. We only have one milk brand named Guozhen for adults on our list but we never received an application for a permit to import it," Husniah said adding that every foreign food product can be imported only with a BPOM permit.
She said to prevent the contaminated Chinese milk from entering Indonesian markets, BPOM had instructed all its regional offices to search for the product in all markets.
"We never know if the product has entered the markets illegally. Therefore, I have asked BPOM officers to search for it," she said.
BPOM had also instructed its officers to withdraw all Chinese food products from the markets to protect the public from any contaminated food.
As of September 23, 2008, BPOM had ordered the withdrawal of 28 food products containing milk from China such as yogurt, biscuit, chocolate, and candy.
"We are collecting all chinese products containing milk. However, this doesn't mean the products contain melamine . We just don't want to take risks," said Rubiana.
